Researchers from a wide variety of secular and religiously affiliated organizations are agreeing that church attendance among young adults is in sharp decline. The studies show that 70-80% of young adults are leaving their churches before the age of 22. Only 35% of them later return. This trend is cited by some as evidence America has become a “post-Christian nation” following in the footsteps of Western Europe.
Religious traditionalists who have the annoying habit of seeing themselves as the official standard of measurement for all things validly spiritual and true are very troubled by this trend. With “the sky is falling” alarmism a burgeoning industry of seminars, conferences, and publishing has been created to teach pastors and youth workers how to stop this mass exodus. Most of the popular strategies and tactics fall into the category of entertain and hold. If the youth leader is hip enough, the music rock enough, the ambiance trendy enough and the events fun enough maybe a few will stick around and change their minds about dropping out of church. The reasoning behind these efforts is that, since they are the only true light bearers, they must react to this trend with extraordinary effort to keep the young people in their churches. If they can’t keep them coming to their programs, America is doomed. In my opinion this is nothing less than religious narcissism. It is wrong headed on several levels.
First, it is absolutely a false assumption that young adults leaving the church are disconnecting from God. Researchers are also finding that there is a rise in belief in God and interest in things spiritual among the youth of America. Young people today are more likely to pray and give themselves to acts of compassion than the youth of a generation ago. Many of them are finding it necessary to escape stifling, program based religion in order to spread their wings spiritually.
Second, it is the height of arrogance for any of us to conclude that our way of doing things is God’s preferred way of doing things. If history teaches us anything it declares loudly that God changes tactics from time to time. Forms and traditions that may have been fresh, life-giving and in step with what God was doing to interact with humanity at one time often have long since been added to the pile of obsolete and no longer useful “wineskins” today. Efforts to hold onto people and keep them engaged in things God has moved on from can become counter productive and even idolatrous.
Third and most important in this discussion is the shortsighted and negative view of God the alarmists project. Their inflated view of their own importance reveals a genuine lack of confidence in God. It assumes that God’s hands are tied to their “success” . If they aren’t carrying the day, neither is God it is assumed. That is an absurd and insulting to God proposition. God, who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (Ephesians 1:11), is not bound or limited by our customs and comfort zones of religious practice.
From where I sit it looks to me like God is enjoying unprecedented success in engaging the hearts and minds of the emerging generation. How God is doing it may not look “churchy” but these are great days for what is most important to the Almighty.
